The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.

- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so

-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...

-James Branch Cabell

February 09, 2018 - 11:00 a.m.

Listening Lists

I had another day without excitement; the adventure was going to Aldi. That's not much of an adventure though it does take two buses. Here's the problem I have plans that run fairly late tonight and start early but I didn't get enough sleep last night. Part of me want is restless and wants to hear live music while another part of me wants to stay home and relax. I don't have to decide now. I will go to therapy and the psychiatrist then decide. What makes it tough is that there are four bands playing tonight that I very much want to see, Man About a Horse and Cole Quest and the City Pickers at Rockwood or Wooing and Watershed at the Sidewalk Café. The latter is a family affair, Wooing is Rachel Trachtenburg's band and Watershed her father Jason's. It would be nice if I could spend some time at home after the mental health appointments, but I don't have the time. Then there is the fact that next week is jam-packed with live music and socializing.

Saturday ¬– Lunch with JimSunday ¬– The End of America at First Acoustics Tuesday – John Platt's On Your RadarWednesday – Rachael and Vilray at the House of Love Thursday – Carolann Solebello at First Acoustics Saturday – The Kennedys at Ethical Brew

First Acoustics and the House of Love are in Brooklyn and Ethical Brew in Teaneck NJ. I'm going to be spending a lot of time traveling. At least lunch with Jim is half mile walk from home. I also have tentative plans on Monday in Brooklyn. The next week I have only one concert on my schedule. I might have just talked myself into staying home tonight.

Shopping is a pain when you live on City Island and don't have a car. I don't like the choices on the Island and the nearest supermarket I do like is a half an hour away by bus. I'm trying to buy as much as I can from Amazon. I just ordered coffee and it was excellent. My goal is to find things as cheap or cheaper than I can get them in stores. Breath Rite Strips are half the price online so that was a clear win. I thought I could do well getting cat food, but I couldn't. I find that hard to believe. I will continue to investigate. I wonder if I can get eggs, those cost more than twice as much on the Island as off. I just checked, I can't but I did just find cat food. WooHoo.

Amazon has been useful with music. I just found out how to use the recommendations on Amazon music. The recommendations they send me by email are ridiculous, so many are things I already own. On the app, it bases it on what I've already added to my library. I'm filling in so many of the albums that I've lost and adding some I never had. I used to play the game, "what' on my CD changer." Now I'll start the new version, what I have I listened to recently.

The beauty is that the more albums I add the more it suggests. I love the Amazon algorithm. I also love that the word algorithm has entered general usage. It's a word commonly used in math and has been a regular part of my vocabulary since high school. I always get more pleasure finding a simple algorithm then finding a special solution to a problem.

Now I have to make my breakfast. I am not getting a ride to the train station today which means I have to leave almost an hour earlier for therapy. The extra travel time is not that bad as that's when I read the New York Times.